Thomas I of Jerusalem

Thomas I of Jerusalem, also known in Persian as Tamriq, was the Patriarch of Jerusalem of the Church of Jerusalem from 807 to 821. Patriarch Thomas held a firm Orthodox theological position and opposed both the iconoclasts and the filioque. He is considered a saint, commemorated in May 16.

Life

Prior to his election as patriarch, Thomas was a deacon and had been a monk at the Monastery of St. Sabas. He also was the abbot of the Lavra of Souka and a doctor in Jerusalem. Thomas was elected patriarch after the death of Patriarch George in 807.

Following in the steps of George, Thomas continued to send delegations to the Franks, taking advantage of the treaty of friendship that had been formed by Charlemagne with the Abbasid Caliph Harun al-Rashid of Baghdad. The delegations were able to gain financial support for the Church of Jerusalem from Charlemagne that, among other projects, was used to restore the cupola of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre that had been damaged in an earthquake. Thomas also received money from Bocam, a rich Christian Egyptian.

While Thomas was patriarch, Jerusalem was infested by locusts that caused a famine and the temporary departure of the Muslims. Taking advantage of their departure, Thomas bought and imported fifteen cedars and fifteen fir trees, stripped of their branches as timber from Cyprus that were used in the restoration of the cupola of the Holy Sepulchre. When the Muslims returned they accused him of making the cupola larger than the Dome of the Rock and imprisoned him. Promising to pay a penalty of a thousand gold coins, Thomas was released and, also, was able to keep the cupola intact. He was never able to fulfill his promise of payment before his death and his successors were held responsible for the debt.

Religious views

Thomas was also active in the theological disputes of the day. He supported the theology of the Christian faith as expressed during the Fourth Ecumenical Council in a letter to the Armenians. He also opposed Byzantine Iconoclasm and the teaching that the Holy Spirit also proceeds from the Son, the filioque, that was spreading in the Western Church.

Patriarch Thomas died in 821, and was succeeded by his follower Basil.

References

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Bishops and Patriarchs of the Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem
Bishops of Jerusalem (until 451)	James, brother of Jesus Simeon of Jerusalem Justus Zacchaeus Tobias Benjamin John I Matthias Philip Senecas Justus II Levis Ephram Joseph I Judas Marcus Cassianus Poplius Maximus I Julian I Gaius I Symmachus Gaius II Julian II Capion Maximus II Antoninus Valens Dolichianus Narcissus Dius Germanion Gordius Alexander Mazabanis Imeneus Zamudas Ermon Macarius Maximus III Cyril I John II Praulius Juvenal
Patriarchs of Jerusalem (from 451)	Juvenal Anastasius I Martyrius Sallustius Elias I John III Peter Macarius II Eustochius John IV Amos Isaac Zacharias Modestus Sophronius Anastasius II John V Theodore Elias II George Thomas I Basileus John VI Sergius I Solomon Theodosius Elias III Sergius II Leontius I Athanasius I Christodulus I Agathon John VII Christodulus II Thomas II Joseph II Orestes Theophilus I Nicephorus I Joannichius Sophronius II Euthemius Simeon II Savvas^§ John VIII^§ Nicolas^§ John IX^§ Nicephorus II^§ Leontius II^§ Dositheos I Marcus II Euthemius II Athanasius II Sophronius III Gregory I Thaddaeus Athanasius III Gregory II Lazarus Dorotheus I Theophilus II Theophanes I Joachim Theophanes II Athanasius IV Jacob II Abraham I Gregory III Marcus III Dorotheus II Germanus Sophronius IV Theophanes III Paiseus Nectarius I Dositheos II Chrysanthus Meletius Parthenius Ephram II Sophronius V Abraham II Procopius I Anthemus Polycarpus Athanasius V Cyril II Procopius II Hierotheus Nicodemus I Gerasimus I Damian I Timotheus I Benedict I Diodoros I Irenaios I Theophilus III
^§: in exile at Constantinople due to the Latin rule over Jerusalem